Ice Prince
by Tsukiko K
Summary: Kaito Shion is the young, kindhearted, and passionate prince of a kingdom. But when the castle is invaded and he is nearly killed, what lengths will he and his friends go to in order to take back their kingdom? And will they meet new friends along the way who are more than willing to help them? (Rated M For Later Chapters. GakuKai.Hiatus)
1. Chapter 1: The Cherished Prince

The castle was enormous, the biggest one within the entire country. Prince Kaito lived there with his father and mother, the servants, as well as his most trusted bodyguard and childhood friend, Kamui Gakupo. The prince sighed and looked out of one of the big tall windows of the castle. He felt confined within the castle and hated the feeling. He wanted to explore the outside world more than anything right now.

A loud crash came from a nearby room. "Huh? What was that, I wonder?" Kaito muttered and walked towards the room. He heard another crash as he opened the door and looked inside. He saw nothing which confused him. As he closed the door and turned around, a large crystal was thrust into his chest. He could hear the shouts of the Royal Guard and his childhood friend Gakupo running down the halls in search of him and his parents. But Kaito could only stare wide eyed at the man before him, who had put a Legendary Crystal in his chest.

He didn't recognize him at all. Or rather, he couldn't as his face was masked. But he had a cold stare. The guards and Gakupo were shocked when they saw the Prince and the mysterious masked man. Kaito moaned softly as he collapsed to the floor, bringing a hand weakly to his chest as he stared at the crystal. The man had begun to run away but Gakupo ordered the guards to go after him while he tended to the prince.

They obeyed his orders without question and the samurai rushed over to the prince who lay on his side with blood beginning to form a pool around his now frail looking body.

As Gakupo knelt down and pulled the blunette in his arms, he felt a strong sense of fear. Kaito was struggling to breathe, his eyes being half-lidded and his body almost completely limp. Not only that, but his skin was paler and colder as well. He managed a weak wavering smile as he stared up at the samurai.

"G-Gakupo...I..."

"Don't waste your strength on words, idiot!"

He knew what Kaito was trying to say. He was trying to apologize for being a burden yet again. Kaito coughed weakly, his breath coming in short shallow gasps. Gakupo gritted his teeth a bit before pulling the crystal in Kaito's chest out carefully but quickly. The prince in his arms winced but his face relaxed a moment later, his half-lidded eyes struggling to focus on his surroundings. It was a bit blurry at first but then it cleared up some as he stared up at his friends worried gaze. He managed another weak smile to the other, his gasps and struggles for breath slowing down.

He felt so tired, the darkness growing at the corners of his eyes.

Gakupo noticed Kaito's eyes beginning to close further and he shook him lightly, "Stay awake! Stay with me, Kaito! Don't you dare die on me, not now!" He had pressed a thick cloth over the wound, blood soaking the cloth quickly and he could easily feel his friends heartbeat fading. He was dying... He stood up with Kaito in his arms and rushed to the only person he knew could save him. _I have to get him help! Please, Kaito, hang in there just a bit longer!_

* * *

The citizens of the Kingdom were frightened. Their king and queen had been killed and no one knew of the princes whereabouts or if he was alive. They had all taken refuge within the property of the Hatsune family, who were benevolent people. They were also a family of mages, who were adept in healing.

The door of the mansion burst open, revealing a long haired samurai carrying the prince in his arms. Murmurs travelled throughout the room until the man before them shouted. "Please! Where is Mikuo Hatsune?! The prince is dying and he needs help!" He sounded desperate to say the least, but anyone would in his position. Everyone loved the prince. He was kindhearted and could bring light to any situation. Whenever someone in the kingdom passed away, he would attend their funeral and cry for them.

Mikuo walked up quickly and took the prince into his own arms. "I must treat him here, the wound is too severe!" His sister Miku was quick to bring something out to lay the prince on. Everyone watched with worry and anticipation, all of them shocked at the injury the prince had sustained. Mikuo placed a hand over the wound and a tealish green light appeared at the palm of his hand. Kaito moaned a little before wincing, the wound gradually healing. The prince had regained consciousness halfway through, much to the everyone's relief.

"Wh-where... am I...?" Kaito managed, his voice weak and weary. Mikuo managed a kind, soft smile.

"You are within the Hatsune residence, my prince. I am currently in the process of healing the wound you sustained. It is a good thing that Gakupo-sama rushed you here when he did, or you would have died from a wound such as this."

The prince weakly nodded his thanks with a small smile. When the wound was fully healed, the Prince had once again lost consciousness. The people stared in worry for their beloved prince. "He is only tired. It would seem the ordeal has taken a lot out of him. Miku, we can't move him to a room yet until we're sure my magic has completely healed the wound. It would seem the object that had been used for an attempt to kill the prince was a legendary crystal. If he is moved now, the wound may return, like stitches tearing."

The girl nodded and went to get more blankets and comforters. The citizens walked up to Gakupo, tears in their eyes as they all began to speak. "You saved the prince! Thank you! Yes, thank you so much, Gakupo-sama!"

"It was no trouble at all. The prince is my dear childhood friend, the one who showed any kindness to me when we were children. The day I met His Highness is one I'll never forget." Gakupo stated. The people looked at him with interest. No one had ever known how the prince and Gakupo the Samurai met, only that one day the prince had all of a sudden attained a new, faithful and loyal bodyguard.

"If you all would like to know the story of how Gakupo-sama became His Highness' bodyguard I shall tell you as I was there." A woman announced with a smile. She was a maid from the castle who had volunteered to help the Hatsune's whenever she could.

"Meiko... So this is where you were?" Gakupo comments, his eyes somewhat wide. Meiko sighed and pouted a little.

"Do you want to hear the story or not? I for one think its a rather touching story," she stated and everyone within the room nodded and agreed that they wanted to hear this story. Gakupo smiled and simply let her, for he had no problem with her telling them the story because it brought no shame upon him at all. That day, was the beginning of his life.

"All right, then," she took a seat before continuing, "It all started nine years before when the prince and I, as well as four guards were walking through the town when we heard a cry for help,"

* * *

 **9 Years Ago**

A child named Kamui Gakupo with long purple hair about eight years old was kicked into an alleyway by older children who were at least ten. "Street scum! You should really watch where you're going, ya know!"

"Yeah! After all, wastes of space like you are just trash! No one wants to get infected with your dirt and disease, so why don't you just die?" A second says and a third child laughs. They were soon all interrupted by a shout of another boy, most likely Gakupo's age. When they turned around, the three older children's eyes widen in shock.

"Leave him alone! What did he ever do to you?" A blue haired boy asked. Gakupo's eyes widened as he recognized the child as the prince, Kaito. He had a maid with him who couldn't have been anymore than fourteen and guards were trailing behind the two.

Prince Kaito rushed over to Gakupo and helped him up before staring at the other to with a kind but stern stare. "Just because someone's different doesn't give you the right to judge! Everyone has a place in this world whether they realize it or not! When someone is born, it is not a mistake. Children living off the streets are survivors because they are surviving everyday. No one is a waste of space, everyone's life is precious," the prince stated, Gakupo's eyes widening with each sentence.

He had never seen such a kindhearted person before. He felt that he needed to protect this person. He looked at the guards and the maid. They were staring at the prince in admiration even though he was younger. Way younger. He said such deep and meaningful things with true sincerity and feeling. The prince turned to Gakupo but was shocked when he saw Gakupo kneel in front of him with tears and complete admiration in his eyes.

"Will you allow me to become your bodyguard? Please! I am highly skilled with a katana and will not hesitate to serve you!" He had tears streaming down his face and even though he felt the guards, maid, and three boys staring at him in complete utter shock he didn't care.

The prince blinked a couple times before he smiled brightly. "How about instead of just my bodyguard, you become my best friend too? It's lonely at the castle even though I come into town and have everyone who lives at the castle including the guards! I love everyone, but its lonely without a friend my age! What do you say?" Kaito asked, holding his hand out happily.

Gakupo smiled brightly and nodded. The two children were taken back to the castle, the guards all inwardly smiling for their prince. The maid sat across from the two boys who were talking away without a care in the world in the princes room where she had served tea and snacks for the two children.

She smiled to herself, feeling very happy for her prince as well as the poor boy who had once lived on the street. But now, Gakupo was cleaned and dressed very nicely, with a katana being forged by the royal family's blacksmith.

 _The Prince truly does have a kindheart._

* * *

Everyone was touched by the story. They were brought out of their thoughts by a light moan and they all turned towards the prince, who was awake. He hadn't even tried to sit up which worried Gakupo. His face was flushed with fever so one of the people called for Miku.

Miku appeared with a bowl of water and a cloth and after wringing the cloth out some, she placed it on the prince's forehead. "He'll be alright. Don't worry, he's simply too weak to move a lot right now. Your Highness, if it ever gets hard to breathe, please have someone inform me or my brother," Miku states, receiving a weak nod in response.

"Is he really going to be okay? What about the ones who did this to him?" someone asked.

"My brother has made an extremely strong barrier around our land. It keeps out anyone with ill intent and anyone outside the barrier cannot see what's inside." Miku explained. She went back to tending to Kaito. His breathing was labored and his eyes were glazed over from the fever. He coughed weakly, closing his eyes. His body shivered, even though he was covered with blankets. _It hurts... every breath hurts..._ When the prince had stopped breathing, everyone became alarmed. Miku shook him lightly, causing the prince's eyes to flutter open as he started to take in weak gasps of air once more. He looked at Miku with glazed eyes.

"It h-hurts to breathe..." He managed to say before closing his eyes and coughing, his breath getting weaker. If it weren't for the prince's shivering and his struggles to breathe, everyone would assume he was already dead. Aside from the flush of the fever, Kaito was deathly pale.

Everyone watched him with worry and sorrow filled eyes. Their prince had been healed but the magic had not yet settled. His body was considerably weakened to the point a fever such as this could kill him. Some had tears streaming down their face as they watched Kaito struggle to stay alive. Miku immediately called for her brother once more. When he arrived he examined the prince before placing a hand over his chest once more to begin a healing process.

"He's dying. The effects of the crystal have weakened him too much. If he stops breathing, he won't even realize he did. The fever is too much for him in this state," Mikuo said to no one in particular except Miku. Gakupo was immediately alarmed at what the mage had said.

"I thought you had healed him!"

"I did! But a fever in this weakened state could kill him! If he didn't have a fever, he would recover without any problems. But a fever when he's this weak, when he can barely fight it, he could die so easily." Mikuo explains, voice full of fear and worry. The only reason the kingdom had accepted his family was because of the young prince. "It would bring shame and sorrow upon my family if I let the one who accepted us into the kingdom die! Our family of mages was not going to be accepted into the kingdom until the prince met with us himself! He was the only one at that time who truly believed in us and our good intentions!"

The two mages had tears streaming down their faces. Miku was assisting her brother with healing the prince. She had fallen in love with the prince when they met seven years ago. He had said such passionate things, that what or who we are should not be judged by history alone. The prince was only ten when he had said such things! As the two were healing the prince, Kaito's expression had changed from one in pain to a much more relaxed one. His labored breathing had also begun to even out more and become less struggled.

Kaito's bright blue eyes opened slowly. The two mages let out long sighs of relief. "Prince Kaito, do you feel alright?" Miku asked worriedly. Kaito nodded, having regained some of his strength. He shakily struggled into a sitting position with Mikuo's help. He smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry you had to go to such lengths to heal me. I'm sure there are others who needed to be healed as much as me." He said, placing a hand on his head guiltily. An old man walked over, shaking his head. "Nonsense. Everyone here has received treatment. _You_ are much more important," Many nod in agreement at the old mans words. Kaito smiled again and turned to Mikuo and Miku.

"Thank you. I owe you both my life." He bowed his head happily, making the two sibling mages lift there hands up and shake them.

"We're more than happy to do so for you, Prince Kaito!" Miku replied in a panic. Mikuo nodded, in as much as a panic as his little sister. The prince pouted of all things in response to this and shook his head. "What did I say about the formalities, you two? We're friends, so drop the 'prince' title. I don't even like it when Gakupo uses formalities. If my friends and people I knew were to use such formality, I'd feel bad,"

"Feel bad? Why?" Mikuo asked in confusing. Everyone else was wondering the same question as well.

"Because we're all people. Or to be more specific, we're all _human_. So we're all equals no matter who we are, you know?" He stated, obviously embarrassed with everyone staring at him. Miku giggled and out of all the things to do, she hugged Kaito. His face flushed bright red.

* * *

It didn't take long, but now there were men standing outside of the barrier Mikuo had created. They were trying to break in, as they knew the barrier contained something.

"I can't keep the barrier up much longer. Everyone needs to escape now!" Mikuo announces, leading all the citizens out. They escaped through an underground path way while Kaito, the mages, and Gakupo were getting ready for a different method of transportation. Teleportation. "Please stay close. If you stray too far from us during the teleport, we could be separated." Mikuo warns. A large light circle appears at their feet, with Kaito and Gakupo staying close to the two mages as they were instructed. They were soon engulfed in light and no longer in the mansion.

Instead, they were floating down a tunnel of light. Kaito had lost consciousness because of the sudden increase of magic and Gakupo held him close so Kaito didn't get separated from them. When they reached their destination, Gakupo looked around to find that they were in a forest. It was a beautiful, breathtaking sight. But his main concern was Kaito. He shook him but the blunette didn't respond. "He won't wake up!"

"Don't worry. The sudden increase of magic was too much for his mind to take all at once so he lost consciousness. He'll be okay," Mikuo reassured. Gakupo sighed in relief and began to address their surroundings once more. The land they were in was nowhere even near their homeland. He couldn't tell, but they could have arrived in a different country. Kaito moaned, opening his eyes and sitting up quickly in surprise, but immediately regretted the action as he fell back again. He felt dizzy and light headed, unable to see straight.

Gakupo caught Kaito in his arms as the blunette fell back. He noticed that Kaito's eyes were unfocused. "It's all right, don't be afraid, Kaito. You're just dizzy from the increase of magic during teleportation," Mikuo soothed, sensing the prince's fear. Kaito calmed down and when he was no longer dizzy or light headed, he sat up slowly.

"There's a town nearby. We should go there and get some new clothes, as well as look for a place to sleep." Miku states. The other three nodded their approval and when they reached town, they found an inn and a place to buy new clothes. Kaito wore a long blue and white coat over a black shirt. He had on a pair of black boots lined with blue and gray pants that easily tucked into the boots. A long blue scarf was wrapped around his neck as well. Mikuo wore a tealish green cloak with a black shirt and light gray pants with black boots.

Miku wore a white dress with teal designs at the bottom and top with a pair of teal dress shoes. Gakupo wore something of a kimono like design with a very detailed shirt underneath and boots. He had his katana in a sheath at his side as well. Kaito laughed cheerfully, smiling brightly like a child. "I love this new outfit! It suits me so much better than my old clothes!" He cheered, jumping up and down. Gakupo sweat dropped and sighed. _He is such a child..._ The sun was going down so they all went back to the inn.

When he was sure everyone was asleep, Kaito stood up and walked out onto the balcony of the room and rested his arms on the rail. His eyes were hidden by his blue hair but he felt his smile falter and turn into a frown as tears started to stream down his face and his lip was lightly quivering. He burst into quiet sobs moments later. All he could think about was his parents; they were _killed_ for no reason! He couldn't sleep knowing they were gone. His chest felt tight from pain but not from his earlier injury. The pain of knowing he'd never see his parents alive again was gripping his heart, making more tears stream down his face.

He gripped the wooden railing. _It just isn't fair! But then again, life is never fair, is it?_ He thought bitterly, unable to stop his tears from falling as he sat in the corner of the balcony and cried himself to sleep. By the time he did fall asleep, it was already six in the morning.

* * *

Gakupo awoke the next morning to find the prince missing from his bed. In a quiet panic, he searched the room until the spotted Kaito on the balcony. He walked out and saw his face. It was stained with tears and his eyes were puffy and red. He shook the princes shoulder and when Kaito opened his eyes, Gakupo silently gasped. Kaito's eyes were bloodshot, causing it to clash with the color of his beautiful bright blue eyes. The blunette hadn't slept much it would seem, probably only a few minutes, his face still being wet from tears.

When more tears started pouring from the poor boy's eyes, his friend panicked and rushed to get the Hatsune siblings. Mikuo gave the prince a sorrowful look as he helped the boy stand. Miku placed a hand on Kaito's forehead and used her magic to put him to sleep. The boy fell limply into Mikuo's arms and the older sibling placed Kaito in his bed.

"Miku used a spell to put him to sleep. Kind of like a sedative. Kaito's in a lot of emotional pain right now," he looked down for a moment before looking at the other two, "I will stay here and watch over him. You two go into town and collect things for our journey. A wagon, horses, food, water. The necessary things. We can't rely on magic alone,"

Gakupo and Miku nodded and quickly left. In town, Gakupo glanced at Miku before turning his eyes in front of him once more. "So... How long have you liked him?"

Miku blushed and looked at him with a panicked expression. "It's not that obvious is it?!"

"Yes, actually. However, I doubt the prince has realized."

"Oh, thank goodness! That's a relief!"

"Is it? Is it really?" Gakupo stopped and stared at her. His expression was unreadable.

"As it is, Kaito needs a lot of emotional support. He doesn't have to know how you _truly_ feel yet if that's not what you want. However, he does need us to be there for him." Gakupo started walking again, leaving Miku to trail behind him. They gathered everything they could possibly need and when they arrived back at the inn, Mikuo was tending to Kaito who was still asleep. Kaito had been awake all night and stayed outside the entire time. He was in so much pain and none of them even knew it because he acted so happy during the day.

But at night, he cried and cried. All alone. They placed Kaito in the back of the wagon with Miku and started down the road. They were nowhere near another town yet, but an hour later Kaito had woken up. The sleep seemed to have done him some good, but he was so out of it when Gakupo found him that he didn't remember very much of that morning.

They had decided to stop and make some lunch, but Kaito had tripped over the bucket of water that Mikuo had carelessly left on the ground and Gakupo caught him before he fell face first. Said mage poked his head out of the wagon as he was gathering food. "What just happened?" He asked curiously.

"You're stupid, that's what just happened!" Gakupo and Miku both retorted in unison, glaring at the mage who flinched and timidly rubbed the back of his head with a nervous smile. Kaito wasn't mad but he did stare wide eyed at the three as they verbally quarrelled. They only stopped when a loud growl came from Kaito's stomach, making the blunette blush deeply. Mikuo brought the food out and quickly began to prepare something for the group to eat. In all honesty, he was the best cook.

Kaito had never entered a kitchen. Gakupo was a terrible cook. And Miku was just as bad as Gakupo, possibly worse, as everything she made came out looking like charcoal. When the food was finished cooking, Kaito gratefully started eating. The three friends didn't show it, but they were shocked. They knew Kaito was in a lot of emotional pain, but he hid it so well that anyone who _didn't_ see the state he was in earlier in the morning would never had expected Kaito to be sad or depressed.

"Look what we have here!" A cheerful but deadly voice called from the bushes and trees of the forest, causing the group to stand up abruptly. Gakupo unsheathed his sword and stood protectively in front of Kaito. A man with short brown hair jumped out into the grassy clearing and locked swords with Gakupo. Two male mages did the same, heading straight for the Hatsune siblings. This left Kaito all alone and undefended as another much bigger male that was possibly the leader cornered him against a tree. Kaito whimpered in fear and held his hands up in front of his face with his eyes shut tight as the man thrust his sword towards the prince.

But pain didn't come. He felt a cold air surround him and he opened his eyes to look at the man. first thing he saw was the man's sword, frozen in solid ice and inches from his face. The next was the man himself; completely frozen in ice to match his sword. Everyone stared in shock and the other three bandits ran off. "Kaito... Did you do that?" Gakupo asked with wide eyes.

"Wh-what?! But I don't-"

"You might want to rethink that answer, Kaito. You were stabbed in the chest with a legendary crystal; it is said that those who survive a wound from one of those Crystal's, especially to the chest, will be granted a power that suits them," Mikuo announced, his eyes wide as if he just remembered that detail.

Kaito stared in shock before he was able to register any thoughts at all. _I did that? Oh man... By the Gods what has happened to me?_


	2. Chapter 2: Friendship and Newcomers

Kaito sighed in the back of the wagon, staring at the palm of his right hand. Gakupo smiled a little and put a comforting hand on the prince's shoulder. "It's all right. Gaining powers won't change who you are. Besides, I think I might worry a bit less if you had these powers." He soothed. Kaito smiled brightly, a true smile with his sadness gone thanks to his friend being there for him. Gakupo felt his heart speed up a bit as he blushed a little, but luckily no one noticed.

If anyone knew how he felt about the prince, he wouldn't be able to face anyone ever again. Not even the prince himself. He mentally sighed and growled lightly in annoyance when the wagon stopped moving. "What's the matter now?"

"N-nothing! Just checking the map!" _Moody samurai!_ Mikuo thought and sighed as he checked over the map. He had marked out the town they were in before and the travel to the next town was taking longer than anticipated. _It'll be nightfall soon. Not good..._ He snapped the reins to make the horses move the wagon and they kept going down the long road. Several minutes passed before Mikuo very reluctantly spoke up.

"Gakupo, please stay alert. Before you and Miku came back to the Inn from buying our things, I heard from some townsfolk that dangerous creatures roam these woods at night."

"Why didn't you tell me _beforehand_?!"

"I...I uh...forgot?"

"You blithering idiot!"

"It wasn't my fault! I got distracted!" Mikuo whines. Gakupo sighs. He was about to fall asleep when the mage had said that. Now he was extremely worried for Kaito's safety. He looked over at said blunette. He was asleep, curled up in an innocent position like a little child. The samurai smiled a bit before glaring outside. When night had completely fallen, glowing eyes were watching them from the shadows and thick bushes. Kaito scooted closer to the campfire in fear, whimpering silently and then was alert when he heard a twig snap.

A ghostly creature in the shape and form of a large big cat with long saber-like teeth stepped out. It's body was completely ethereal as it glowed. It ran straight towards Kaito as Gakupo unsheathed his sword and slashed through the creature but his sword simply passed right through as if the being were no more than mist.

The cat charged into Kaito and knocked him back several feet as it went right through him. Gakupo rushed over to Kaito. "Don't worry. That was a simple spirit. They're guardians of the forest. They won't harm you but they occasionally pass through your body to sap away a large and considerable amount of energy if they are too weak to obtain it elsewhere. Everything else here though will probably and most likely kill you," Mikuo stated calmly as if it were no big deal.

Kaito was unconscious as Gakupo laid him in the wagon. Why the spirit chose Kaito he'll never know, unless the mage did another one of his sudden lectures. The prince had barely enough energy for himself. He sighed as he covered up the one he secretly loved with a blanket.

"Oh yeah that reminds me. When the other creatures of the forest are having trouble catching prey, the spirits will pick the most exhausted member of a group to sap their energy and allow the catching of that particular prey to be easier... Oh shit!" Mikuo's eyes widen and he quickly hooks the horses back up to the wagon.

"Grab your stuff, get in the wagon, and hold on tight!" He shouted. Miku and Gakupo did as they were told and the moment they were in the wagon, the horses sped off with a harsh snap of the reins. Gakupo groaned as he hit his head on a crate in the back of the wagon and cursed. He looked outside of the wagon to see large Fenris wolves chasing them. There were two of them, making the situation all the more worse.

"We're almost out of the forest! We need to hurry! If those things catch us, we're as good as dead!" Mikuo yells. As they neared the forests exit, one of the Fenris wolves slashed the back of the wagon open and before Gakupo could do anything, Kaito and Miku fell out of the wagon. The prince was still unconscious as they tumbled on the ground and came to a stop in front of the beasts. Miku screamed in horror as one of them neared Kaito, but she was too afraid to do anything. Tears streamed down her face as another walked towards her with its sharp deadly teeth completely exposed, shining brightly in the moonlight.

"Mystifarbus Acheenta!" Mikuo shouted a spell, knocking the beast away from Miku. Gakupo ran to Kaito, slashing the Fenrir beside him across the face. With a couple of reluctant snarls, the Fenris run away and back into the forest. Miku broke down into sobs, her brother quickly sedating her with a spell. "Restorundis Absolaris!" He recites, and the wagon is restored to a brand new form.

"Reori," he chants a one word spell, and the horses who had run off from the commotion suddenly return. He hitches them back up to the wagon with a sigh, then he and Gakupo place Miku and Kaito in the back of the wagon. They rode the wagon to the next town, and when they arrived, the sun was rising. Kaito moaned as he sat up and winced, grabbing his side.

"Why do I feel like I was thrown out of the wagon?" He asked. He looked at the samurai and mage and noticed they both looked nervous at his question. Mikuo rubbed the back of his head while looking in the other direction, and Gakupo stared at the ground stiffly. Kaito sighed, yawning big with one eyes closed as he stood and stretched. He rubbed his closed eye sleepily. "Aside from the pain my body is experiencing first thing in the morning, that was the best sleep I've had in days!"

Gakupo smiled thoughtfully while Mikuo yawned. "Yeah. Well... I'm going to sleep. Unless the town's being raided or unless someone's dying, don't wake me up,"

"Wouldn't dream of it, mage,"

"Shut your face, samurai,"

Before Gakupo could retaliate he saw that Miku had also woken up and upon seeing the blunette, she tackled him in a hug. She immediately began sobbing. "I thought you were gonna die! I seriously thought you were going to die, Kaito!" She sobbed, utterly confusing the poor blue haired prince who was unconscious the entire time they were under attack.

"M-Miku? What's wrong? Wh-what are you talking about? I'm not going to die..." He stuttered a bit, trying to stop the girl on top of him from crying but she was holding on too tight, clinging to him for dear life as if he would vanish before her eyes and her arms were the only thing that could keep him from doing so.

"Miku, if you hold him so tight he'll suffocate. Let him breathe some so we can explain what happened," Gakupo gently pries the poor girl off the blunette and then he helps Kaito stand. When they explain the situation, Kaito's shoulders slump and he hangs his head. "Oh wow... What I thought to be my best sleep in days could have been my very last. That's disheartening..."

A couple hours later, after getting some rooms at an Inn, they get breakfast at the nearest diner. Kaito had to wonder... What were they travelling for exactly? The kingdom's people escaped and so did they. So where were they going? Kaito stole a glance at Gakupo before looking down once more. "Mikuo? Where are we going exactly that calls for us to travel so far?" He asked finally, unable to stave off his curiosity.

"We're searching for a way to take back our Kingdom, and possibly anyone willing to help. I don't know who invaded our kingdom and it's castle, but I don't think we should just let these people drive us out of our homes and the place we grew up. But personally, what I _hate_ the most of what they did was they tried to take your life, Kaito," The mage replied, ending his last sentence with distaste, disgust, and a clear sliver of hatred. _They dared to kill the King and Queen, and also tried to take the Prince's life! No way I'll forgive them! They can have the kingdom, but laying a hand on the Prince is not something I will allow!_

Kaito stared outside the window longingly for a for a few minutes. He missed his parents, his home. He forced back his tears. He couldn't let his friends worry about him. He had already caused enough trouble as it is. Kaito headed back to the Inn alone and walked up to his and Gakupo's temporary room that had two large beds, a desk, and a few chairs as well as some drawers.

He sprawled himself out on one of the beds, his limbs spread out as he stared up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes but didn't sleep. He wasn't sleepy, but his body was tired out. He opened his eyes and looked at the palm of his right hand.

He stretched it out in front of him as if reaching for the sky and imaged the ice from before. It saddened him he had hurt that man. It didn't matter to him if the bandit was trying to kill him, he hated hurting people! He hated it... It didn't matter to him who they were or what they did, they could feel same as everyone else. He wondered what the man felt when that happened. Fear? Quite possibly. No one wants to end up into a frozen block of ice because a naïve Prince who has never left his kingdom even once suddenly gains powers.

He felt like such an idiot. He never meant to hurt that man. He heard the door open and Gakupo step in. Kaito looked over his shoulder to stare at his slightly older companion. Gakupo was only a few months older than the blunette.

"Are you sulking because of what happened back there with the bandits?"

"N-no...not really,"

"I can read you like a book, you're so easy. You _are_ sulking. It's pitiful, really. The prince, my best friend since we were kids, is sulking like a child."

"H-hey! Th-that's not very nice, Gakupo!"

Tears sprung in the Prince's eyes all of a sudden when he remembered what he was so depressed about, and they streamed down his cheeks of their own accord. The samurai's smile disappeared and his eyes widened in shock as his friend started to cry. _Oh, crap. I'm such an idiot! I made him cry, didn't I?_ He walked over and sat beside the blunette, wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry... I should be more considerate of your feelings, especially when you didn't mean to freeze that man," he said apologetically, looking down a little. His breath caught in his throat and he stiffened as Kaito leaned into him, his beautiful bright blue eyes fluttering shut. Gakupo smiled softly, stroking Kaito's soft silky hair. It almost felt unnatural how soft the younger's hair was. His pale skin and frame made him seem so... Delicate and fragile. He could see that the black shirt underneath his coat only covered his chest, exposing his belly, and had to wonder what the prince's naked body would look like.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, his eyes widened and Gakupo's face flushed a deep crimson. _Wh-what am I thinking?! H-he's the prince!_ The samurai laid the prince gently down onto the bed and sat in a chair in a corner of the room reading a book. He had fallen in love with the prince the day he met him, but didn't realize it until six years later. He remembered that day like it was yesterday.

* * *

 **3 Years Ago**

"Your Highness, please, there's no need for you to do something so dangerous for me," Fourteen year old Gakupo had insisted worriedly as he watched the prince climb a tall, large tree. Gakupo had accidentally let the haori Kaito had given him go and the wind blew it into the tree.

"Nonsense! You've told me that this is your most precious haori! You can't let something like this that you treasure so much go so easily..." The prince replied nonchalantly. He crawled across the thick branch and grabbed the cloth tightly just as another strong wind blew and knocked the young blunette out of the tree, where he was nine feet in the air. Gakupo ran towards the prince as he was falling in order to catch him but didn't get there in time.

"Prince Kaito! Are you all right?!" He asked worriedly, sitting the most likely injured prince up in his arms gently. Kaito groaned softly, opening his eyes. He smiled brightly with a slight grimace as he held up the haori.

"I got it!"

"Does it hurt anywhere?!" he asked again, completely ignoring what the blunette said.

"Ye-yeah... I think I sprained my ankle pretty bad." the prince replied reluctantly, not wanting his friend to worry so much. But after that, Kaito had been bedridden for a couple days. He had contracted a fever from several of the infected cuts he received when he landed. Gakupo was so worried, he ended up contemplating his feelings for the prince and the conclusion he came to was that he was in love.

He had decided not to tell the kindhearted prince. He was merely a former street boy, living off what he could before. Now? Now he was the prince's bodyguard, and proud to be so. He couldn't ruin his prince's trust and faith in him over something like love of all things. But the prince would forever remain a precious person to the samurai.

* * *

 **Back To the Present**

Gakupo heard a light groan and looked up to see the prince stirring in his sleep. The blunette woke up briefly to remove his coat and scarf, placing them in the desk chair beside him, then crawl back onto the bed and fall asleep without even bothering to cover up. _I suppose it is hot out, and the cold never bothered the prince anyway... Especially not now._ He thought, thinking back to when Kaito had accidentally used his powers.

He blushed once again when he looked at Kaito. He was slim, not skinny. He had a nice build but not too much muscle as his stomach was perfectly smooth and flat. One arm laid across his stomach while the other had the hand resting lightly on the pillow his head was on, slightly tilted to the side as he slept soundly and peacefully.

Gakupo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of all the... _Why_ , by the Gods, is he so damn enticing?!" He muttered sharply, careful not to wake Kaito. He sighed and closed his eyes, falling asleep within minutes with the book covering his face.

 **15 Minutes Later**

"Gakupo! Wake up! Look at this!" the blunette shouted excitedly, making the long haired samurai jump out of his sleep. The book covering his face was sent flying across the room and into the wall.

"Are we under attack?!"

"Uhmm... No. But look what my magic did! No idea what it is but its cold and creamy and really sweet!" The prince replied, a blush of happiness on his face as he ate something out of a bowl. Gakupo recognized the dish as one out of the wagon. _How on earth did he sneak off without me knowing?_ He walked up to Kaito to see what he was eating and his eyes widened.

There were colors of different kinds in the bowl but what was perplexing was that what he was eating was a frozen treat of some kind. _If I remember correctly, this frozen treat is called ice cream. It was invented by the ice mages twenty years ago as an enjoyable dessert of sorts._ _And now that Kaito has ice magic..._ He looked at said prince who was happily eating the ice cream with a wooden spoon. _He can make this stuff any time he wants! And now he's hooked on it!_ Gakupo's brow twitched irritably as he watched the boy eat.

When the blunette finished, he giggled with excitement. "That was delicious!" He exclaimed, then looked out the window to see Miku. He had to wonder why she was carrying leeks. He made a disgusted face and pouted. _I hate leeks! Mom always tried to get me to eat them but when she couldn't she gave up!_ He hissed at the memory of his mother trying to make him eat the green vegetable. His eyes widened when he saw Miku look at one of the leeks then abruptly take a huge bite out of it.

Kaito's eyes bulged. "That's disgusting! And she's still eating it!" he exclaimed, slamming his hands on the windowsill. Gakupo shared the same look when he saw her as well, but only briefly as he blinked and shook his head. _First Kaito, now one of the Hatsune siblings. They're doing the strangest of things. But this actually normal for Kaito, like when he wondered what a leaf of an apple tree tasted like and tried to eat one, the goofball!_

He smiled to himself a little. Although he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy their weird oddball ways occasionally.

* * *

 **The Castle**

"Are you sure the prince is dead," Kageito asked the assassin and middle child of the Royal Family of their kingdom, Taito, suspiciously with a sadistic smile. The man in question nodded and removed his hood and mask. He had bandages everywhere, along with a blood splattered scarf.

"Yes, I would assume so, Your Highness. Unless he can survive a fatal wound to the chest, I highly doubt he is alive," Taito replied monotonously. Zeito, the eldest of the three brothers glanced at the assassin briefly before returning to the book in his hands with a bored expression. _So we conquered the Kingdom without much of a fight and the prince is supposedly dead. How boring, they didn't even find his body. I wanted to play with him._ Zeito thought and sighed tiredly.

He was known for sexually abusing beautiful people, men and women alike. And according to rumor, the prince was very handsome. Some even went so far as to say he was an angel in human form. That he had the most striking blue hair and eyes with pale skin and a perfect body. _Tch, damn it. I told that Taito not to take it so damn far. He never listens._

Zeito closed the book in his hands and walked to his new room within the castle they had taken over. It was the room that once belonged to the deceased king and queen. He stretched out onto the bed, still sporting his bored expression even when Taito had crawled into the large bed with him. The dark purple haired teen gave him an apologetic look and snuggled closer to Zeito. "I'm sorry, Zeito-nii. I didn't mean to do anything to upset you," he whined apologetically, burying his face into the others neck. The elder brother smiled, unable to stay mad at his little brother for very long. When you over look the sadistic side that can come out of the younger, he was actually a very sweet and shy boy.

And he was very attached to Zeito. After Taito had fallen asleep, Zeito looked outside of the window. If that prince was still alive, he wouldn't hesitate to go find him and bring him back here to use as a toy.

He laughed quietly, smiling as he stared up at the moon with blood red eyes.

* * *

 **Back in the Town**

"Miku, what happened to the leeks I asked you to buy?" Mikuo questioned, raising an eyebrow at his sister. He had a feeling that she had eaten all of the leeks. And he was right as he watched her squirm a bit before replying to his question.

"I...um...ate them?"

He face palmed, shaking his head lightly as he ran his hand down his face. He supposed it was for the best. He wouldn't be able to get the prince to eat any anyway. He knew Prince hated leeks, and knew that if he tried to ever feed the prince such a thing that it would be the death of him. He sighed and prepared dinner, as the Inn allowed them to cook their own food. Once the food was cooked, he made a plate for everyone including himself.

"You may be stupid but your cooking skills never cease to amaze me, mage," the samurai commented. _Was that supposed to be a compliment?!_ The mage glared at the other across from him who simply ignored him and continued with his meal while Kaito savored each bite of his dinner happily. Afterwards, the four went upstairs to their rooms. Miku and Mikuo were down the hall in the same room while the prince and Gakupo were in a room a couple doors down from the stairs.

Kaito took a deep breath as he took off his coat and scarf, laying them to the side once more. He removed his shoes as well and placed them beside the bed as he curled up under the covers and quickly fell asleep with a small smile. Gakupo sighed quietly, wondering how Kaito could be so cute without even trying. He fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes, entering a sea of complete darkness.

* * *

The next morning, Gakupo awoke to find the prince missing. _Not again!_ He searched downstairs then outside as fast as he could. He stopped when he finally saw the prince, happily conversing with a pair of twin neko's. They had blond hair with furry blond ears and tail to match, but the tips of the tail and ears were black. They also had big bright blue eyes. They were different from Kaito's however as his contained a somewhat darker shade.

"My names Len! This is Rin!" the boy with the short pony tail exclaimed happily. The girl punched him in the shoulder.

"I can introduce myself, idiot!"

"You're so mean! Like a witch!"

"I'll make you eat those words, Banana Boy!"

"Sorry, they don't appeal to me and my tastes, so I'll have to kindly refuse."

Gakupo walked over out of curiosity and looked at the twins then Kaito before speaking. "Hey, Kaito. What's going on?" He asked.

The blunette smiled at him. "Mikuo said we needed allies the other day right? As I was looking around town, some thugs tried to steal from me but then these two appeared out of nowhere and saved me," Kaito replied as if it was no big deal but this only triggered Gakupo's really overprotective side.

"Your Highness! I have told you not to leave without me when travelling in such places! To think you would do something so dangerous and speak of it as if it were not a problem!" _Then again, for as long as I've known him, this is how the prince is... Gahh!_

"Gakupo! What have I told you about the formalities?" Kaito asked with an angry pout as he continued, "Mikuo and Miku addressed me in that same manner before I left the Inn this morning!" He was not happy about being addressed that way a third time. Gakupo's shoulders slumped as the blunette scolded him for being formal. He soon turned back to the twins with a kind smile.

"So, can we join you on your journey? We can fight just as good as any warrior, possibly even better!" Len stated. Kaito nodded while Gakupo face palmed. Now they had a pair of fourteen year old neko brats with them, thanks to Kaito. But Gakupo decided it was for the best, as it was true about the neko's ability to fight. They are swift and light on their feet. Once a neko grows attached to someone, they are extremely loyal and aren't known to betray their comrades. Kaito explained what they were doing and why, and after explaining the twins still wanted to come along. But they couldn't hide surprise upon learning a kind person such as Kaito is a prince.

Gakupo set up the wagon with Mikuo and the prince's help. They had already finished buying everything they needed and were going to set out on the road again to hopefully find more people willing to help. Kaito observed the landscape they were traveling on, simply watching the trees and other things they passed in the wagon. The twins were in the back of the wagon with Kaito and Gakupo, curled up against one another with their tails linked as they slept.

The prince smiled briefly at them before staring out of the wagon again. He wished he could be of some help to his companions. Right now, he felt like a burden. If he wasn't here, if he had died that day back at the castle, his friends wouldn't have to help him take back the kingdom. He felt useless. He also felt terribly bad for Gakupo. The older teen didn't have to become his bodyguard but that day the look on the others face made it impossible to refuse. That day, the prince only wanted a friend, not a bodyguard. But instead he had gained both.

 _I cause so much trouble for everyone. I just... I want to protect the people I care for... They support and help me all the time and I am unable to do anything_ _._ The blunette thought sadly, making sure no one saw the tears that silently fell from his eyes.

And yet... They stuck with him despite how utterly useless he seemed. But unbeknownst to him, he was more help than he thought. Because he's the reason they choose to stand up and fight, because he had already done so much for everyone.

He cared for the Kingdom's people, regardless of origin or status.

He took Gakupo, a mere street kid, off the streets and welcomed him into the castle as if he was family.

And when the Hatsune's were about to be rejected from the kingdom for being mages, he stepped in and intervened, convincing everyone that they should be allowed to live there as much as anyone else.

And now, he accepted the twins, who were often discriminated and hated for being different with people going so far as to call them freaks of nature, as close precious friends. He had told them exactly what he thought. That it did not matter what they were, they were people just like him. With feelings and thoughts.

If only he knew an impact he made on others, he would not look down on himself. At least, that's what it seems like.

Kaito thought for a moment and smiled when he remembered what his mother had said when he was six years old.

 _"Sometimes it's more important to be kind than to be right. Having an intelligent mind that speaks is fine, but a loving heart that listens will do more good,"_

Those words will forever be etched into his heart...

* * *

 **End Of this Chapter...**

 **I hope you like it, everyone!**

 **I do not own Vocaloid, nor do I own any quotes that were possibly used in this story. Thank you, please read and review.**

 **How'd ya like dat, SteelDolls? ;P**


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